A recombinant Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara expressing prME of tick-borne encephalitis virus affords mice full protection against TBEV infection

Front Immunol. 2023 Apr 21:14:1182963. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1182963. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Introduction: Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an important human pathogen that can cause a serious disease involving the central nervous system (tick-borne encephalitis, TBE). Although approved inactivated vaccines are available, the number of TBE cases is rising, and breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated subjects have been reported in recent years.

Methods: In the present study, we generated and characterized a recombinant Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) for the delivery of the pre-membrane (prM) and envelope (E) proteins of TBEV (MVA-prME).

Results: MVA-prME was tested in mice in comparison with a licensed vaccine FSME-IMMUN® and proved to be highly immunogenic and afforded full protection against challenge infection with TBEV.

Discussion: Our data indicate that MVA-prME holds promise as an improved next-generation vaccine for the prevention of TBE.

Keywords: FSME-IMMUN®; MVA; T cells; TBEV; protection; vaccination; virus-neutralizing antibodies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne* / genetics
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Vaccinia virus / genetics
  • Viral Vaccines*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Viral Vaccines

Supplementary concepts

  • Modified Vaccinia Ankara virus

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) - 398066876/GRK 2485/1 and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in the framework of the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship endowed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to GR. This Open Access publication was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) - 491094227 “Open Access Publication Funding” and the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation. The funders played no role in the study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, or writing of this manuscript.